The Natural History of Selborne

The ponds fill very fast.

Crickets in the chimney cry but faintly & do not appear much.  The cats kill all they can see.  *The severity of the weather quickened Timothy’s retreat: he used to stay above ground ’til about the 20th.  At Ringmer he used to lay himself up in a wet swampy border: indeed he had no choice.

Somewhat eats the pinks in the garden.

Wheat-stubbles plow-up in fine order; green wheat comes up well.  Tortoise goes under ground: over him is thrown a coat of moss.  The border being very light & mellow, the tortoise has thrown the mould entirely over his shell, leaving only a small breatheing hole near his head.  Timothy lies in the border under the fruit-wall, in an aspect where he will enjoy the warmth of the sun, & where no wet can annoy him: a hen-coop over his back protects him from dogs, &c.

Wells, streams, & ponds are very low.

Several wood-cocks seen this day: stone curlews are not yet gone.

Timothy does not stir.

Gathered-in a great many grapes, because the vines cast their leaves.  The crop of grapes is prodigious: perhaps the greatest I ever had.

Some snow on the ground.  Many trees were stripped last night: vine-leaves begin to fall.  Winter-weather.  Gathered the barberries, a vast crop.

The tortoise begins to dig mould for his winter-retreat: he has much moss in his coop, under which he conceals himself.